Ambelique
AMBELIQUE
Following in the footsteps of Gregory Issacs, John Holt, Ken Booth, Beres Hammond Freddie McGregor, and Dennis Brown. Ambelique has now joined that selective group of Artists from Jamaica who sing and perform deep soulful reggae the way it should be done!
There’s an old saying ‘nothing happens before its time’. It could have been coined especially for Ambelique, who despite his wealth of current hits and rocketing popularity among grassroots enthusiasts, waited patiently for his breakthrough into the reggae big time. Then again, Ambelique is no ordinary singer. His tones of expressions and vocal technique are simple outstanding, and the soul in his voice so moving at times, the listener is reminded of early R&B greats such as Sam Cooke.
Jamaican by Birth, he was raised in the Waltham Park area of Kingston, the same neighbourhood that gave us Dennis Brown, Freddie McGregor, Sugar Minot and The Stewart Brothers [Tinga & Roman]. It was Ska and Rock steady Legend Derrick Harriot who took him to the Studio for the first time.
Ambelique left Jamaica for New York. It was in New York where he was introduced and worked along side Third World lead singer Bunny Rugs, with touring band Hugh Hendricks & The Buccaneers. Ambelique moved to Los Angels where he joined a group called first with a group called Third Eye, then with Methuselem. During this time he embarked on self-producing project, under the guidance of the renowned Engineer / Producer Carl Pitterson.
In 1994 he returned to Jamaica and was introduced to Sly & Robbie the Jamaican musical giants by Noel Brown, and on the recommendation of Colin ''Bulby'' York - for whom he later recorded hits Lonely Soldier, Stick To The Task and Soldier On The Front Line. It was Sly & Robbie who gave him his long awaited entry into the Reggae mainstream, with his version of Brian McKnight's One Last Cry and R. Kelly's For You, both rocketing to the top of the New York Reggae charts in 1996, and hit Caribbean single 'Cuando Cuando' inspiring an entire album of covers entitled Ambelique Sings The Classics which was released the following year and rocked the Reggae Charts. Recognizing the commercial potential, Island Jamaica soon issued he and Chevelle Franklin's cover of Richie Valen's La Bamba on CD single. Ambelique also contributed two songs to the Sly & Robbie & Friends Grammy winning album of 1999 - one of them Penny Lover and the other an unaccredited version of the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction featuring Keith Richards on guitar. The future looked bright from this most self-effacing of newcomers, but Island Jamaica folded, leaving Ambelique and Sly & Robbie to seek their fortunes elsewhere.
His R&B sound and feel worked beautifully on a handful of singles released after the Classic's Album e.g., ‘Worker Man’, ‘Me Oh My’ and ‘Is It Still Good To You’, Ambelique turned freelance soon after recording tracks for Gordon 'Flash' Lee, Fat Eyes and Clive Hunt in Jamaica- High Power, Phillip Smart [Shoulder To Cry On] Don One [Hands of Time] in the USA. The impact he created in America can be measured by the proliferation of tracks included on VP Records best selling Strictly the Best and Reggae Gold Series.
In 2000 Ambelique shot to the top of the Reggae Charts with the song Sheriff in Town Bluer Than Blue both winning a place on the Rhythm Selector Series on Jet Star.
Ambelique singles has repeatedly appeared on the Jet Star compilation Albums, his work in the UK has also found success in the USA, with the hit Love Doctor topping the New York Reggae charts once again, he has completed albums for Phillip Smart, Don One and Jet Star, a late release of a track from his 2nd album also topped the charts in New York 'Share My Love' featuring Chevelle Franklin re-enstating him as the most popular lovers artist in this millennium Followed by Albums "Love Got a Hold on me and Special Attention , Reggae Gold Classics each one holding a top spot in the Reggae Album Charts
Ambelique's album on the Devious Records Label is set to be released in 2005 to much acclaim, "Entitled Lets Take a Chance.
His next Album ‘The Vibes of Ambelique’ is set to be release 2007.
This Album is very special to Ambelique as it involves a selection of some of his very best work.
A super songwriter as a master stylist, his objective is to make timeless music that will last for generations to come and true form has achieved this on virtually everything he has touched since re- entering the business during the mid-nineties.
“People just want to get famous and make money, but I want to make songs that still sell ten to twenty years from now'.
You see music is the medium by which everybody can be taught, as artists we should say something meaningful.” Ambelique
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